If the Helm chart created the database on the first run but you are still seeing errors like

FATAL:  database "airbyte_db" does not exist

, there are a few possible reasons based on the knowledge sources: 1. Database Name Mismatch: Double-check that the database name in your Airbyte configuration (

values.yaml

) matches exactly the name of the database that was created. For example, if your config expects

airbyte_db

but the Helm chart created

airbyte

, you will see this error. The database name key in the Helm chart can be either

database

or

name

depending on the chart version, so ensure consistency between your secret, values file, and the actual database name [see docs](https://docs.airbyte.com/platform/next/deploying-airbyte/integrations/database). 2. Permissions Issue: Even if the database exists, the Airbyte user may not have the correct privileges to access it. Make sure the user specified in your secret has all privileges on the database. This is a common issue and is mentioned in the official support answer [see forum post](https://discuss.airbyte.io/t/1544). 3. Helm Chart/Pod Timing: Sometimes, the Airbyte pods may start before the database is fully ready, especially on the first install. This can cause initial connection failures. In some cases, running the Helm install command again or increasing the Helm timeout can help, as noted by users who had to run the install twice or set a longer timeout [see issue comment](https://github.com/airbytehq/airbyte/issues/49304). 4. Multiple Databases Required: Airbyte (and Temporal, if used) may require multiple databases (

airbyte

,

temporal

,

temporal_visibility

). If only one is created, the others must be created manually [see forum post](https://discuss.airbyte.io/t/1544). If the Helm chart is supposed to create the database but you still get this error, check: - The actual databases present in your Postgres instance. - The values in your

values.yaml

and secrets. - The Airbyte pod logs for more specific errors about which database or user is missing. If everything matches and the error persists, you may need to manually create the missing database(s) and grant the correct privileges, as this has resolved the issue for other users [see issue comment](https://github.com/airbytehq/airbyte/issues/45456). If you need more specific troubleshooting, please provide the relevant section of your

values.yaml

and the output of

\l

(list databases) from your Postgres instance.

If you are using the internal database (the default Postgres instance that Airbyte spins up as a container, usually named

airbyte-db

), Airbyte should automatically create the required databases and set up the schema during the initial startup. However, if you are seeing errors such as:

FATAL:  database "airbyte_db" does not exist

while using the internal database, this typically means that the internal Postgres container either failed to initialize properly or is not running as expected. This can happen if: - The Postgres container failed to start due to a port conflict or another process already using the port (commonly 5432). For example, logs like:

could not bind IPv6 address "::": Address in use   FATAL:  could not create any TCP/IP sockets

indicate a port conflict or another Postgres instance running on the same port ([see forum post](https://discuss.airbyte.io/t/4336)). - The database files were corrupted or not initialized correctly. What you can do: 1. Check for Port Conflicts: Make sure no other Postgres instance is running on port 5432 on your host. Stop any other Postgres containers or services if necessary. 2. Clean Up and Restart: If you are running Airbyte via Docker Compose, try stopping all containers, removing volumes, and starting again:

bash    docker-compose down -v    docker-compose up

This will remove the existing database volume and force Airbyte to reinitialize the internal database. 3. Check Logs: Review the logs of the

airbyte-db

container for any errors during startup. If you see repeated failures, it is likely a port or file system issue. If these steps do not resolve the issue, please provide the full logs from the

airbyte-db

container for further troubleshooting. Summary: When using the internal database, Airbyte should handle all database creation automatically. Errors about missing databases usually point to startup or port issues with the internal Postgres container, not a manual setup problem.

Based on your logs, the internal Airbyte Postgres database container is running and ready to accept connections, but Airbyte is attempting to connect to a database named

airbyte_db

which does not exist:

2025-07-22 07:00:47.671 UTC [25] FATAL:  database "airbyte_db" does not exist

This situation can occur if the Airbyte application is configured (via environment variables or configuration files) to look for a database named

airbyte_db

, but the internal Postgres instance did not create it, or it created a database with a different name (such as the default

airbyte

). Key points from the knowledge sources: - When using the internal database, Airbyte should automatically create the required databases on startup. If the database does not exist, it may be due to a misconfiguration or a failed initialization process ([see related issue](https://github.com/airbytehq/airbyte/issues/45456)). - A mismatch between the configured database name and the actual database name in Postgres will cause this error. For example, if Airbyte is configured to use

airbyte_db

but only

airbyte

exists, you will see this FATAL error ([see issue](https://github.com/airbytehq/airbyte/issues/45456)). - If you have previously changed environment variables such as

DATABASE_DB

,

DATABASE_URL

, or similar, ensure they match the actual database name created by the internal Postgres instance ([see forum answer](https://discuss.airbyte.io/t/557)). What you should do: 1. Check your Airbyte configuration (environment variables or

docker-compose.yaml

) for any database name overrides. Make sure the database name matches what the internal Postgres is set up to create (usually

airbyte

by default). 2. If you have persistent volumes, try removing them and restarting Airbyte to force a fresh initialization:

bash    docker-compose down -v    docker-compose up

This will clear any old or mismatched database state and allow Airbyte to recreate the database as expected. If after these steps the problem persists, please provide your Airbyte configuration and the full logs from both the

airbyte-db

and

airbyte-bootloader

containers for further troubleshooting. If you need to manually create the database (which should not be necessary for the internal DB, but has resolved similar issues for others), you can do so by connecting to the Postgres container and running:

sql CREATE DATABASE airbyte_db;

But ideally, fixing the configuration mismatch should resolve the issue without manual intervention. If you need more specific guidance, please share your configuration details.

Thank you for sharing your

values.yaml

configuration:

yaml database:     type: "internal" # Use internal PostgreSQL     host: "airbyte-postgresql" # Matches the PostgreSQL service name     port: "5432"     database: "airbyte_db"     user: "airbyte"     password: "airbyte" # Hardcoded password

Issue: Your logs show:

FATAL:  database "airbyte_db" does not exist

This means Airbyte is trying to connect to a database named

airbyte_db

, but the internal Postgres instance did not create it. What the knowledge sources say: - By default, Airbyte’s internal Postgres database creates a database named

airbyte

, not

airbyte_db

. If you specify a different name (like

airbyte_db

), you must ensure that the internal Postgres is also configured to create a database with that name. Otherwise, you will get this error [see related issue](https://github.com/airbytehq/airbyte/issues/45456). - The documentation and examples for internal databases typically use

airbyte

as the default database name [see docs](https://docs.airbyte.com/platform/next/deploying-airbyte/integrations/database). How to fix: - Change your

values.yaml

to use the default database name:

yaml     database:         type: "internal"         host: "airbyte-postgresql"         port: "5432"         database: "airbyte"         user: "airbyte"         password: "airbyte"

- Then, restart your Airbyte deployment. If you are using persistent volumes, you may need to remove them to allow Airbyte to reinitialize the internal database:

bash     docker-compose down -v     docker-compose up

(or the equivalent Helm commands if using Kubernetes) Summary: The internal Airbyte Postgres instance creates a database named

airbyte

by default. If you set

database: "airbyte_db"

in your config, but the internal DB is not set up to create that database, you will get a "does not exist" error. Change the database name in your config to

airbyte

to match the default behavior, then restart Airbyte. This should resolve your issue. If you need to use a different database name, you would have to ensure the internal Postgres is initialized with that name, but this is not the standard or documented approach for Airbyte’s internal database.

If it worked previously with a custom database name like

airbyte_db

but now fails, there are a few possible explanations based on the knowledge sources: 1. Persistence and Volume Reset: If you were using Docker or Kubernetes and deleted the persistent volume (or used

docker-compose down -v

), the internal Postgres database would have been reset. On restart, the internal Postgres container would only create the default

airbyte

database, not your custom

airbyte_db

. This would explain why it worked before (when the database existed) and now fails (after a reset, the custom database no longer exists) [see related issue](https://github.com/airbytehq/airbyte/issues/45456). 2. Manual Creation: If you manually created

airbyte_db

inside the internal Postgres container at some point, Airbyte would have worked until the database or its volume was deleted. The internal Postgres setup does not automatically recreate custom-named databases after a reset or fresh install—only the default

airbyte

database is created [see forum answer](https://discuss.airbyte.io/t/557). 3. Configuration Drift: If your configuration or deployment method changed (for example, switching between internal and external Postgres, or changing Helm chart versions), the initialization logic may have changed, resulting in the custom database not being created automatically. Summary: The internal Airbyte Postgres database only creates the default

airbyte

database on initialization. If you use a custom name like

airbyte_db

, you must manually create it every time the database is reset or the volume is deleted. This is not the standard or supported approach for the internal database, and is why you are now seeing the error after a reset or redeployment. Recommendation: - Use the default database name

airbyte

in your configuration for the internal database. - If you must use a custom name, you will need to manually create the database inside the Postgres container every time the internal database is reinitialized. If you need more robust support for custom database names, consider using an external Postgres instance where you control the initialization process [see docs](https://docs.airbyte.com/platform/next/deploying-airbyte/integrations/database). If you need step-by-step instructions for manually creating the database inside the internal Postgres container, let me know!

Thank you for clarifying that you did not manually create the

airbyte_db

database. Based on the knowledge sources, when using the internal database, Airbyte’s default behavior is to create a database named `airbyte`—not

airbyte_db

. If your configuration specifies

airbyte_db

and you did not manually create it, Airbyte will not create this custom-named database for you, and you will encounter the error:

FATAL:  database "airbyte_db" does not exist

There is no information in the knowledge sources indicating that Airbyte’s internal Postgres will automatically create a database with a custom name if specified in the configuration. The default and documented behavior is to create a database named

airbyte

when using the internal database. If it worked previously, it may have been due to a leftover state or a previous manual intervention, but this is not the expected or supported behavior according to the documentation and community discussions. To resolve this: - Change your configuration to use the default database name `airbyte`:

yaml   database:       type: "internal"       host: "airbyte-postgresql"       port: "5432"       database: "airbyte"       user: "airbyte"       password: "airbyte"

- Restart your Airbyte deployment. If you continue to use

airbyte_db

as the database name with the internal database, you will need to manually create it, as Airbyte will not do this for you automatically. If you have not made any manual changes and are using the internal database, the only supported and reliable approach is to use the default database name

airbyte

as per the documentation. If you need to use a custom database name, consider switching to an external Postgres instance where you have full control over database creation ([see documentation](https://docs.airbyte.com/platform/next/deploying-airbyte/integrations/database)).